WHCO
 | |
| Broadcast area | Sparta, Illinois Randolph County, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1230 kHz |
| Branding | "Real Country 1230 and 97.3 WHCO" |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Affiliations | Brownfield Radio Network Fighting Illini Sports Network RFD Radio Network Real Country (Westwood One) St. Louis Blues St. Louis Cardinals |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | February 1955[2] |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 27264 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 Watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°07′25.0″N 89°43′20.0″W / 38.123611°N 89.722222°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | WHCO Webstream |
| Website | WHCO Online |
WHCO (1230 AM) is a country formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Sparta, Illinois, serving Sparta and Randolph County, Illinois. WHCO is owned and operated by David and Carol Holder, through licensee Southern Illinois Radio Group, Inc.[1]
History[edit]
WHCO began broadcasting in February 1955 and aired a country music format.[2][3] It was owned by Hirsch Communication Engineering Corporation.[4] By the early 1970s, the station was airing a middle of the road (MOR) format, along with 30 hours of country music a week.[2] In the 1980s and 1990s, the station aired a full service format, with adult contemporary and country music, along with talk, farm, and religious programming.[5][6][7][8] In 1998, the station adopted a news-talk format, carrying local programming as well as nationally syndicated hosts such as G. Gordon Liddy, Larry King, and Jim Bohannon.[3][9] In 2008, WHCO returned to a country music format.[3] In 2013, controlling interest in the station was sold to David and Carol Holder's Southern Illinois Radio Group, Inc. for $150,000.[10]
Translator[edit]
In addition to the main station, WHCO is relayed by an FM translator.[11]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W247CP | 97.3 FM FM | Sparta, Illinois | 138452 | 250 watts | 71 m (233 ft) | D | LMS |
References[edit]
- ^ a b "WHCO Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ a b c 1971 Broadcasting Yearbook, Broadcasting, 1971. p. B-67. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c "About 1230 WHCO". WHCO. Archived from the original on March 23, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- ^ History Cards for WHCO, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1985, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1985. p. B-87. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1988, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1988. p. B-92. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Market Place 1992, Broadcasting & Cable, 1992. p. A-113. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1997, Broadcasting & Cable, 1997. p. B-144. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ "WHCO Program Schedule". WHCO. Archived from the original on March 6, 2000. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- ^ "Elmira TV gets an AM little sister", Radio & Television Business Report. January 28, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ "W247CP Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
External links[edit]
- Real Country 1230 and 97.3 WHCO Online
- WHCO in the FCC AM station database
- WHCO in Nielsen Audio's AM station database